Thank you for your interest in the Clique & Club Ratings tool from PickleballRatings.com. Let us explain a bit about what this tool is and how it works.

What exactly are "Clique & Club ratings"?

"Clique & Club" (C&C) ratings are essentially for any ‘closed’ group, which can be anything from a small private group to a league to a national association. C&C ratings do not include match results from “open” or public tournaments. All ratings, however, are processed using Deep GreenTM, our proprietary ratings engine software derived primarily from the widely acknowledged benchmark Elo algorithm. C&C ratings are based on the commonly used rating scale, but use four digits instead of two. For example, a player may earn a rating of 4.163 rather than just be assigned a 4.0 rating.

What is the value of the "Clique & Club" rating system?

1) Allows private groups to create and manage events (ladders, shoot-outs, round-robins, etc.) based strictly on the merit of performance by players and teams having played exclusively against others in the club.

2) Removes the need for pickleball clubs to create and manage a system and process to rate their members

3) Creates the opportunity for players to track their progress based strictly on performance and achievement vs. subjective human evaluation.

3) A player's C&C rating could be used as their "initial rating" when he or she enters a tournament outside of their club for the first time.

What are the similarities and differences with the IPTPA club ratings?

We are big proponents of what the IPTPA is doing at the club level. Ideally, a club would bring in the IPTPA to help assess the players to establish a baseline rating and provide some helpful instruction on an individual level. From there, our C&C rating tool can be put to use as players continue to play and improve within their club environment.

Will players have multiple ratings (singles, doubles, mixed)?

No, players will have a single rating within the club ratings system which will be informed by all submitted head-to-head match results.

Can you use historical data from our club?

Yes! Just follow the instructions to get started.

How will we see our group's ratings?

Your group will have a dedicated page on our site where each player's rating will be visible. During the free trial period, you can also click on any player's rating to see their match result history and historical rating graph. This feature will again be made available on an individual level at a later date.

How far back, historically speaking, is our data valid for the purpose of processing club player ratings?

One year.

Will my C&C rating be the same as the rating I would have playing in 'open' tournaments?

A rating from a closed group can not be equated with a rating derived from open tournament match results. Because this tool does not allow for cross-pollination with players outside of the group, the ratings should only be used for purposes within the group.

(Things will get interesting when groups in the C&C system have a decent percent of players with: a) IPTPA ratings, and; b) another subset of players who compete regularly in 'open' tournaments; and in both cases these are used as the player's initial rating in our C&C system. This would provide a scenario for that group's C&C player ratings to equate more closely with tournament ratings, meaning that a player's C&C rating should eventually be close to the rating he or she would achieve via tournaments outside of their private group).

What is the cost?

After an initial 7-day trial period, a group will have the choice between a free option and two paid options.

Free: One batch of match result data per ​12 months. For example, you might include two or three months worth of match results data in the batch, and then use the resulting ratings to organize your group's structured play (tournaments, ladders, etc.) for the year. Keep track of all match results, then upload again when the next annual cycle begins and watch all the ratings change.

Paid Level 1 (​LIMITED): Submit two to ten batches of head-to-head match result data within a twelve month period.

​Paid Level 2: Submit an UNLIMITED number of batches of head-to-head match result data throughout a 12-month period.

Ratings Updates/Yr

Levels

Number of Group Members

<100

100 to 299

300+

Single

Group Price

Free

Free

Free

Two to Ten

Group Price PAID LEVEL 1

$100.00

$150.00

$250.00

Unlimited

Group Price PAID LEVEL 2

$150.00

$250.00

$350.00

How do we pay?

After a free one week trial period, we will contact you to discuss your options to determine which is best for the needs of your group. We are currently accepting payment via PayPal.

Can we start with the free option and upgrade later if necessary?

Yes! We will monitor your data upload activity to see if and when you are ready to 'level up' at which time we will contact you 🙂

​Should we include "guest" players?

If a club is using this tool and has “guest” players, there are two options:

Don't include match results with guest(s);

Treat the guests as club members, and include them in the player roster

(We recommend including the match results in which guests have played. This not only keeps the ratings system as true as possible, but it allows the club to pitch the value of joining the club to potential members who will not be granted visibility to their club rating otherwise).